Oral hygiene compositions

Abstract

Organoleptic oral hygiene compositions comprise an oral hygiene active component in a vehicle comprising a polyfunctional polyethylene glycol having a weight average molecular weight of about 800 to 1500 and from 3 to about 8 hydroxyl groups.

It is claimed: 
     
       1. A oral hygiene composition comprising 0.01% to 20% weight percent of an oral hygiene active component in a liquid mouthwash, gelular gel, or semi-solid paste vehicle, said vehicle comprising about 5 to 50 weight percent of polyfunctional polyethylene glycol having a weight average molecular weight of about 800 to 1500 and from 3 to about 8 hydroxyl groups said polyethylene glycol being free of the bitter taste and pronounced bitter after taste typically imparted by the normally liquid lower molecular weight polyethylene glycols. 
     
     
       2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the oral hygiene composition is a gel. 
     
     
       3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the oral hygiene composition is a paste. 
     
     
       4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the oral hygiene composition is a liquid. 
     
     
       5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional polyethylene glycol is represented by the formula   R 8 (OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.n OH].sub.m     wherein R is the organic residue of a polyfunctional alcohol having 3 to about 6 carbons and m is an integer of 3 to about 8 and is equal to the number of hydroxyls of the polyfunctional alcohol, n is an integer of from about 3 to 10 and may be the same or different for each of the substituents.   
     
     
       6. The composition of claim 5 wherein R is the residue of glycerol and m is 3. 
     
     
       7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polyfunctional polyethylene glycol is about 900 to 1200. 
     
     
       8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the polyfunctional polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight such that it is liquid at about 10° C. 
     
     
       9. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyfunctional polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight such that it is liquid at about 10° C.